Presidential candidates weigh in on Gonzales departure

The Democratic presidential hopefuls, who had joined the chorus calling for the head of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, are wasting no time marking his resignation today.

Soon after the news bulletins started moving this morning, John Edwards issued a reminder that he called for Gonzales to step down in March, with a four-word statement: "Better late than never."

But the Democrats could live to regret that the highly unpopular Gonzales exited so early in the presidential race.

He made a convenient target, symbolizing what critics call the politicization of the Justice Department and the erosion of the rule of law. Democrats lined up to bash Gonzales at a candidates forum last month hosted by a national group of trial lawyers.

Gonzales has given conflicting answers about the firings of several federal prosecutors before the November 2006 election, and his department's memos have been blamed for leading to torture and abuse of prisoners in Iraq.

But without Gonzales in office, it could make it more difficult for voters to remember all that in the heat of the presidential campaign next year.

So today, the candidates are making sure to get in some parting shots at Gonzales and serving notice on the White House that they will closely scrutinize whoever President Bush nominates.

"I have long believed that Alberto Gonzales subverted justice to promote a political agenda, and so I am pleased that he has finally resigned today," Barack Obama said in a statement posted on his campaign website. "The President needs to nominate an Attorney General who will be the people's lawyer, not the President's lawyer, and in an Obama administration that person will first and foremost defend and promote the rights and liberties enshrined in our Constitution."

Bill Richardson drew fire from liberal bloggers for waiting until April to demand that Gonzales resign and saying he was reluctant because of their shared Hispanic heritage.

He issued a statement that said, "The resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is long overdue. The President must nominate an Attorney General who is a lawyer for the American people, not a political arm of the White House."

Edwards this afternoon elaborated on his earlier remarks, issuing a statement that said, "Americans across the country have been calling for months for Alberto Gonzales to resign, and now, the man who oversaw a political purge of US Attorneys at the Justice Department, approved torture techniques at Guantanamo Bay, and approved illegal spying on Americans has stepped down -- this is a victory for all of us.

"Now is the time for a new direction. Instead of replacing him with another political insider, we need to make sure that President Bush replaces him with someone who is essentially nonpolitical, highly qualified, competent, independent, and who will protect our civil liberties and the Constitution. That's what the Justice Department needs, particularly in the aftermath of Gonzales."

Dennis Kucinich issued a statement, saying it's too early to declare victory.

"The Attorney General may be gone, but the Bush administration's policies of warrantless wiretapping, electronic eavesdropping, and domestic spying -- all in violation of the US Constitution -- will remain in place and are certain to be expanded unless the US Congress exhibits some backbone and repeals the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)," the statement said. "While some may applaud the resignation as some sort of victory, the underlying abuses of Americans' constitutional rights and civil liberties authorized by the Congress through the so-called Patriot Act and the recently approved amendments to FISA will continue unabated. Until we address those abuses and challenge those laws, it doesn't really matter who the Attorney General is."

The Republican presidential hopefuls took longer to react to the resignation.

Mitt Romney this afternoon issued a statement recognizing Gonzales for his "many years of public service," but said he had "made the right decision to step aside."

"The resignation is an opportunity for President Bush to renew the nation's commitment to the law enforcement officers and personnel who are dedicated to enforcing the rule of law and protecting the American people from the threat of terrorism around the globe," Romney said.